Elderly need a lot more attention from care workers in prolonged cold spell
Care workers are facing a heavier workload this freezing winter as more elderly people need help heating their homes and some have even been relocated to shelters.
On Thursday night this week, thermometers in Southeastern Estonia dipped to nearly minus 30 degrees Celsius. For 81-year-old Koidu Morjakova, who lives in Kahkva in Võru Municipality, that means heating her home several times a day.
"In the morning I light the stove briefly — there's a heat-retaining wall — then again in the afternoon and once more in the evening. Just a little bit each time. Everything is very expensive, so I have to be careful. I don't even heat this one room every day unless I absolutely have to," said Koidu.
But before she can heat her home, she needs to bring in firewood — something that's become difficult for her. "I can only carry one or two logs at a time. I've got a cane in one hand and a couple logs in the other. When you've lived through hard times, you do what you must. I still don't want to freeze to death," she said.
Elderly people across Estonia are facing similar struggles. This is where care workers step in — their workload has doubled in the bitter cold.
"First of all, it's cold — will the car even start? Second, people need firewood and serious heating," said Võru Municipality care worker Eike Kaselaan.
"For some people, the woodshed is far away and if there's been drifting snow, you have to clear a path just to reach the firewood. There's also taking out the trash, removing the ashes. Elderly folks don't want to be wading through snow. They don't even like going to the store in this kind of cold — they'd rather have the food delivered," Kaselaan added.
The freezing temperatures have also brought a rise in new support requests — from people who normally manage on their own.
"People live in really unusual conditions. One of the challenges in this cold is that some start using alcohol to keep warm. Another problem — pipes freeze. In those two-story buildings made of silicate bricks where some apartments are empty, even if you heat the upper floor, the water can still freeze," explained Angela Järvpõld, head of the Võru Municipality social services department.
In such cases, people are offered temporary accommodation in municipal shelters for the winter. A few residents have already been relocated this season in Võru.
"Social workers can only help when others notice and report someone in need. That makes a huge difference," Järvpõld emphasized.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski, Valner Väino
Source: Aktuaalne kaamera
